ELECTRIC COMPANY THEATRE:

Electric Company is Kim Collier, David Hudgins, Kevin Kerr and Jonathon Young. Electric Company Wrapped in layers of visual imagery, Electric Company’s works are fueled by a penchant for spectacle. They have developed a strong following of thrilled audiences across the country and they are the recipients of 27 Jessie Richardson Awards for excellence in theatre. A unique and vital presence in the independent theatre scene in Vancouver, the company strives to create life affirming, inspiring and provocative theatre. The members of the Electric Company met while training at Vancouver’s acclaimed Studio 58 acting school. Collaborator Kevin Kerr also studied theatre at UBC. Electric Company has been creating their original brand of physically based theatre since 1996. Collectively their talents and skills include: writing, direction, theatre design, education and arts administration. The company writes and produces original works of theatre with an emphasis on collective creation. Through this process they aim to create a rewarding working environment for artists, where artists are encouraged to think outside their traditional roles. Their plays capitalize on the immediacy, imagination and magic of live theatre. Electric Company is a company in residence at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

• Click here to learn more about The Electric Company.

THEATRE AT UBC:

Theatre at UBC is a renowned training program that has produced some of Canada’s most innovative artists and theatre practices for over 50 years. The program initiates collaborations with professional colleagues from around the world and offers Vancouver audiences a full season of theatre in its state of the art facilities.

• Click here to learn more about Theatre at UBC.

PuSh INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL (PuSh):
January 10–February 4, 2006 Various Venues

Now in its fifth year, PuSh is Vancouver’s very own annual, mid-winter, multidisciplinary festival showcasing critically acclaimed artists and their work. Take in groundbreaking theatre, dance and music from St John’s, Montreal, Calgary, London, Paris and Vancouver. Highlights include the world premieres of Studies in Motion: the Hauntings of Eadweard Muybridge, an innovative co-production between Electric Company Theatre, Theatre at UBC and the PuSh festival, along with a Chan Centre co-presentation of a new collaboration between the Kronos Quartet and Canadian throat singer Tanya Tagaq.

The dark weeks of January will be so chock full of invigorating live performance you’ll be hard pressed to find a grey moment. Unplug your sun lamp and head to PuSh for a dizzying array of blazing inspiration and innovation. From the spectacular unveiling of Electric Company’s Studies In Motion: The Hauntings of Eadweard Muybridge, to the delicate and deeply moving Absence and Presence by Andrew Dawson, from the offbeat Famous Puppet Death Scenes by the old Trout Puppet Workshop, to the World Premiere of the renowned Kronos Quartet in collaboration with Canadian Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq – this year’s line up is a long list of unforgettable performances.

The 2006 festival has a special focus on French Theatre Culture, entitled Act French. With the support of the AFAA and the Consulate General of France in Vancouver, celebrated Parisian playwright Jean-Paul Wenzel arrives to direct his latest work Six Miniature Tragedies at Studio 58. As well, a cinema series and an international reading series of plays from France in translation continue to explore the French aesthetic. Quebec also figures prominently, with the return to Vancouver of the arresting visual theatre of Pigeons International, and the fascinating choreography of maverick Lynda Gaudreau. Visit www.pushfestival.ca for this year's line-up.

• Click here to learn more about PuSh.

KEVIN KERR - WRITER:

Kevin Kerr is co-Artistic Director of Electric Company Theatre with whom he’s co-written several produced main-stage plays including Brilliant!, The Wake, The Score, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, Flop, and The Fall. He directed the award winning play Palace Grand which premiered at the VECC in 2003. He was playwright in residence at Touchstone Theatre during the 1999/2000 season where he developed his play Unity (1918) which Touchstone premiered in 2001. For Unity, he received the Governor General’s Literary Award as well as a Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Original Script and the Sidney Risk Award for emerging playwright. Unity has since had several productions, been published by Talon Books and was translated into French for a production in Montreal earlier this year. Current work includes commissions for Sunshine Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse and Realwheels Theatre. Kevin worked with Electric Company on a film adaptation of their play The Score.

Click here to read Jane Penistan's interview with Kevin Kerr.

KIM COLLIER - DIRECTOR:

Kim Collier is one of the four founding Artistic Directors of the Electric Company Theatre and works with the company creating, directing, acting and producing. Recent directing credits include: The Score, a feature length film based on the Electric Company’s stage play which premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival and had its television debut on CBC in January. Prior to that Kim directed the original production of Storyeum in Vancouver’s Gastown.  She has received 3 Jessie Richardson Awards for direction: the Ray Michael Award for Most Promising New Director and Outstanding Direction for Electric Company's The Score as well as The One That Got Away. Aside directing many  Electric Company shows, Kim has also directed for Run Away Moon Theatre, Studio 58 and Western Canada Theatre. As an actress, she has worked with Graphic Mime, Limelight Theatre, DanceArts, Vancouver Playhouse, National Arts Center, Felix Culpa, Western Canada Theatre, Richmond Gateway Theatre, Touchstone Theatre and others. Kim graduated from Studio 58 and in 2003 attended the Masters Class for directing at the World Stage Festival in Toronto.

RYAN BEIL - ACTOR, Theatre at UBC Alumnus:

Ryan is a native of Vancouver, born and raised, and has recently graduated with a BFA in Acting from the University of British Columbia.  He is thrilled to be back in the Freddy Wood's green room.  His final year credits include Transit Lounge, Village of Idiots, and Under Milk Wood.  Ryan made his professional debut this past September with The Arts Club Theatre Company's presentation of The Diary of Anne Frank.  Most Recently he played Sir Signal Buffoon in Aphra Behn's The Feigned Courtesans for the United Players.  Ryan is ecstatic to be working with the Electric Company and he hopes you enjoy the show.

LARA GILCHRIST - ACTOR:

Lara feels very honoured to be working with The Electric Company.  She recently completed her second season with Bard on the Beach, this year playing Rosalind in As You Like It.  Other theatre credits include, Enchanted April with The Arts Club, and The Wedding Pool with Theatre SKAM for which she received a Jessie Nomination.  She works in film, television, radio, and animation, and is in the midst of recording the first season of Fantastic Four, the cartoon. Lara is a graduate of Studio 58.

KAI JAMES - ACTOR:

Kai has been interested in acting since age six when he began to take drama classes. In 2003, he was chosen to be part of the “Children’s Chorus” in the Vancouver Playhouse production of Romeo and Juliet. Attending the Bard on the Beach “Young Shakespearean Workshops” for the past three years, he had the opportunity to explore the roles of Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Antipholus of Syracuse in  The Comedy of Errors. Kai is very grateful for the opportunity to be part of Studies in Motion. He is twelve years old and hopes to be a professional actor one day. Kai’s other interests in the arts include dancing, singing, playing the piano, and drawing.

SHANE KOLMANSBERGER – ACTOR, BA Candidate:

Shane Kolmansberger is currently a final year BA Theatre student at the University of British Columbia. Some of his favourite credits include his role of Lane/ Merriman, The Importance of Being Ernest (UBC Players Club); Bobby, New York City Hospital - The Musical (Vancouver Fringe Festival); and Gary, Spelunk (Brave New Play Rites Festival). Shane has also appeared in several short films including Master Zorton, Would You Like To Continue?, and Martini Tuesday (VFS, Web TV). He spent last spring studying Theatre at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England. His other acting training includes classes with Matthew Harrison and the William Davis Centre. He is extremely excited to be working with Electric Company on their newest project.

ALLAN MORGAN - ACTOR:

Allan is very excited to be making his debut both with the Electric Company and at the Freddie Wood Theatre. He has just returned from the Belfry Theatre in Victoria where he performed in the final installment of Sara Cassidy and Carol Shield's play Unless. This production also played here in Vancouver at the Stanley and in Toronto at the Bluma Appel earlier in the year. Allan spent 6 fabulous weeks in San Francisco in August and September with the Can stage production of The Overcoat, playing at the historic Geary Theatre for A.C.T. He was last seen in Vancouver in How I learned To Drive at Performance Works on Granville Island. Allan is a member of the Theatre Cares committee and co-produced this summer's popular Restoration Project at Christ Church Cathedral. Allan will be appearing in the Vancouver Playhouse's production of No Great Mischief in the spring. Allan lives in east Vancouver with his partner Chris and their wonder dog Oskar. He makes a mean jam, loves anything with caramel in it and likes to garden and paint.

DAWN PETTEN - ACTOR, Theatre at UBC Alumna:

Dawn flipped when she heard that the Electric Company was developing a show about Eadweard Muybridge having been a long time admirer of his images and even having used them on some crafty Christmas presents one year. Add to that her admiration for the Electric Company and Kevin Kerr's writing (Dawn played Sissy in the premiere and remount of Kevin's Unity, 1918) and she's thrilled to be on board this production. She loved participating earlier this year in two "Studies in Motion" workshops. This is a lovely homecoming for Dawn, to return to UBC and the Freddy Wood stage where she earned her BFA in Theatre. Favourite work while at UBC included A Lie of the Mind, To Have and The Plastic Project. Since graduating from UBC Dawn has worked with Touchstone, Ruby Slippers, Sea Theatre, the Arts Club, the Playhouse, Caravan, Axis, MTC, PTE and the Belfry. She has been nominated for five Jessie awards and uses the two she won as hand weights for at-home workouts. Next up Dawn is headed to Kelowna to act in Here on the Flight Path for Sunshine Theatre

JOEL REDMOND - ACTOR, BFA Candidate:

Joel is excited to be a part of this cutting edge new work.  While in the UBC BFA acting program some of Joel’s credits include, A Streetcar Named Desire, Oh What a Lovely War, Tales of the Lost Formicans and The Falstaff Project.  Since graduating, Joel’s recent credits include Arsenic and Old Lace (Chemainus Theatre Festival) and The Feigned Courtesans (United Players). A special thanks to Kim Collier, Kevin Kerr and all at the Electric Company for your dedication to creating groundbreaking theatre in Vancouver.

KYLE RIDEOUT - ACTOR:

Kyle is excited to be a part of Studies in Motion. Some of his past credits include A Farndale Christmas Carol (Pacific Theatre); Hamlet and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (Bard on the Beach); Night Light (Green Thumb Theatre); Beggars at the Waters of Immortality (Dumb Prophet Productions); Halo (Pacific Theatre); Treasure Island (Carousel Theatre); Quicken, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Trelawny of the Wells, Hamlet, End of the Game, and The Laramie Project (Studio 58). He was the recipient of the Sam Payne Award for Most Promising Newcomer. This summer Kyle will be performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Measure for Measure at Bard on the Beach. He is a graduate of Studio 58.

JUNO RUDDELL - ACTOR:

Theatre credits include: Lazy Susan / Theatre Melee/ Vancouver Fringe Festival/ Pick of the Fringe The Demimonde/ Donikers Daily / Toronto Fringe Festival / Critics Pick Unity 1918 / WCTC One in a Million / Green Thumb Theatre Coronation Voyage / Vancouver Playhouse Fort Steele Follies / Fort Steele Heritage Town A Christmas Carol / Carousel Theatre. She also has as a number of Film and TV credits. Juno recently collaborated on the short film series 'The Chris Shitzky Collection'. Upcoming: a remount of Lazy Susan in the Spring/06. Juno is originally from Saltspring Island and is a graduate of Studio 58.

ERIN WELLS - ACTOR:

ANDREW WHEELER - ACTOR:

Theatre: Five seasons with Bard on the Beach including Claudius in Hamlet, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth in Macbeth; three years as Bill Austin in Mamma Mia; Blood Brothers (Gateway Theatre); The Dining Room, Amadeus, Twelfth Night (Western Canada Theatre); Burn This (Arts Club); Translations (Stratford Festival). Film and TV: Film credits include Nathaniel Rose in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Linda McCartney Story, Best in Show, Mastermind, Bye Bye Birdie. TV credits include The Dead Zone, Da Vinci's Inquest, So Weird, Stargate, Millennium, The X-Files.

JONATHON YOUNG - ACTOR, Electric Company Co-Artistic Director:

He lives and works and dreams with Kim Collier and their brilliant daughter Azra. A founding Co-Artistic Director of the Electric Company, Jonathon has performed at The National Arts Centre, Vancouver Playhouse, the Citadel, The Belfry Theatre, Touchstone, Ruby Slippers, Bard on the Beach, Western Canada Theatre and in most Electric Company productions. On television he shows up most Monday nights in the mini series Terminal City and in the past year appeared in the feature films:  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Fog and Electric Company’s The Score.  Jonathon has received two Jessie Richardson Awards for his stage performances and one for set design which he proudly shares with one of Vancouver’s most insanely talented designers John Webber. As a young lad Jonathon graduated from Studio 58.

PATRICK PENNEFATHER - ORIGINAL COMPOSITION:

Patrick has worked with dance, theatre, and circus artists in Vancouver and internationally.   In Vancouver his sonic underscoringshave been featured in theatrical and dance productions for the following companies:  Vancouver Playhouse, Touchstone Theatre, Jumpstart Productions, Studio 58, the Electric Company, Vancouver Theatre Sports League, Felix Culpa, Vancouver Moving Theatre and Pi Theatre.  Highlights of 2005 have included creating the sound design and compositions for the Cal Arts Theatre production of Migrations in Los Angeles, and a CBC Radio broadcast of his live musical collaboration with a monologue by Lalo Espejo entitled Chiapas & Other Distractions.   He is currently collaborating with Sheinagh Anderson of Cirque Du Soleil fame on a series of sacred trance music recordings and performances.  His own site www.xpodradio.com debuts in December featuring podcast series programming combining commentary, music, songs, and comedy.  You can hear excerpts of Studies in Motion and other compositions at www.patrickp.biz

ROBERT GARDINER - SCENOGRAPHER:

Robert Gardiner is Head of the UBC Department of Theatre, Film and Creative Writing. He participated in the workshop productions of Studies In Motion and previously worked with the Electric Company on their stage version of The Score. Robert has designed scenery and/or lighting at numerous theatres,  including the Arts Club (Vancouver), Charlotte Martin (Seattle), Organic (Chicago), Belfry (Victoria), Gateway (Richmond), and Centaur (Montreal). An expert in Computer Assisted Design for Theatre, Robert has also worked as a director, technical director, stage carpenter, scenic artist, and actor. His designs have been included in a number of exhibitions, including the Canadian National Exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial in 1998, and has received several Jesse Richardson Awards. He is a member of Associated Designers of Canada, and both the US and Canadian Institutes of Theatre Technology. Present artistic interests are integrating imagistic design with dramaturgy and play development, as well as interactive technologies in performance. He also has an ongoing interest in cultural policy for the arts in Western Canada.  Website http://www2.arts.ubc.ca/TheatreDesign/rgdes.

MARA GOTTLER - COSTUME DESIGNER:

Mara's most recent design credits include Little Mercy's First Murder for Touchstone Theatre, Absurd Person Singular for The Arts Club and You Can't Take it With You for Studio 58, where she is also an instructor in the production programme of the Theatre Department.  As resident costume designer for Bard on the Beach, she created the costumes for As You Like It and Love's Labour's Lost on the main stage and for Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead in the studio space.  And her designs for Bard's original production of Macbeth were featured at the World Stage Design Exhibition this past spring.  Mara's work on Crime and Punishment, The Musical, for Neworld/ PuSh International Festival, recently earned her a Jesse Richardson Theatre Award for outstanding costume design.  Mara is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.                

CRYSTAL PITE - CHOREOGRAPHER:

In 1988, Crystal Pite joined Ballet British Columbia in Vancouver. During her eight years as a dancer there, she performed in the works of many choreographers, including John Alleyne, Serge Bennathan, James Kudelka, David Earle, Barry Ingham, and William Forsythe. Pite has created new works for Ballet BC, Netherlands Dance Theatre 1, Ballett Frankfurt, Les Ballets jazz de Montreal (including a term as Resident Choreographer 2001 - 2004), Ballet British Columbia, the Alberta Ballet, Ballet Jorgen, and several independent dance artists. In 1995 she was presented with the Clifford E. Lee Award for Choreography and was choreographer in residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Pite received the Bonnie Bird North American Choreography Award in 2004, and created a work for Transitions Dance Company at the Laban Centre in London. She has choreographed and performed in several films including Subways, directed by Daniel Conrad for CBC, the feature film One Night Stand, directed by Mike Figgis, and The Score, created by Electric Company. Pite has performed world-wide with Ballett Frankfurt in works such as Eidos:Telos, The Loss of Small Detail, and Endless House. In 2001, Pite returned to Canada where she formed her own company, Kidd Pivot which tours nationally and internationally with productions that include Uncollected Work (2002) and Double Story (2004), created with Richard Siegal. Kidd Pivot is the recipient of the Alcan Performing Arts Award for 2006.

CYNTHIA REID – PRODUCING MANAGER:

Cynthia Reid is Producing Manager for Electric Company Theatre. She served as a member of the Electric Company’s board of directors for over two years starting at its incorporation early in 1997 through to her move to Ottawa in 1999. Cindy returned to Vancouver in July 2002 in order to work with the company in administration, marketing and developing audiences both nationally and internationally. She brings her talents and experience as a coordinator, publicist, marketing director and agent along with an unquenchable enthusiasm and passion for the work of the Electric Company, and an in-depth knowledge of the company’s body of work and artistic vision. Cindy has worked as a consultant for the Canada Council’s Art Bank, an account manager for Capital Publishers and Tyrell Press in Ottawa, and Sales & Marketing Administrator for the Bill Reid Studio Gallery.

JAN HODGSON – STAGE  MANAGER:

Jan’s previous credits with The Electric Company include Palace Grand, Brilliant, The One That Got Away, Dona Flor and her Two Husbands. Other Theatre credits: The International Tour of The Overcoat for CanStage Theatre, A Little Night Music, Trying, Noises Off, Hello, Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls for The Vancouver Playhouse, I.O.U. Land, Cyrano of the Northwest, The Man from the Capital, The Apple Orchard (Caravan Farm Theatre), Numerous dance productions with Kokoro Dance, Karen Jamieson Dance Theatre, Wild Excursions, Mascall Dance, Centro Flamenco. 

Ellie O'Day, O'Day Productions, 604-731-3339, ellie@oday.org